Flashlight pencil



Nov. 4, 1941. J. R. WILLIAMS FLASHLIGHT PENCIL Filed Aug. 23, 1940 Patented Nov. -4, 1941 FLASHLIGHT PENCIL Jewell R. williams, oak Park, n'l.,`assignor t John A. RusselL'Chicago, lll.

Application August z3, 1940, serial No. 353,838

3 claims. (ci. 24o-6.46)

flashlight pepcil including a casing adapted toy house a battery and an electric lamp and carrying a translucent plug or body through which light is transmittedfrom the'lamp externally of the casing, the translucent plug being provided With means for holding apencil vor an analogous writing implement in a position to be illuminated by light passing throughthe plug when the pencil is used Afor purposes of writing.

A still further object is the provision or the arrangement of the pencil or writing implement in combination with the translucent member in a manner to control the illumination of the lamp or bulb.

Yet another object is the arrangement, in a flashlight, of a lamp and battery for yieldable movement, one with respect to the other, so that the lamp may be brought into operative engagement with the battery or vice versa to effect illumination and extinguishment of the lamp.

A still further object is` the arrangement in a device of the class described, of means for holdan elongated casing I0 preferably .formed yof metal or a suitable plastic analogousy to Bakelite or Tenite or Lucite. This casing is open at its rear end II and also at its forward end I2, and

the diameter of the casing is sufficient to accommodate a small tubular dry cell I3 of the type commonly used in so-called fountain-pen or purse ashlights, this dry cell being permitted toshift back and forth in an axial direction' between the oppositeends II and I2 of the casing for purposes hereinafter to be explained.

Adjacent the end I2 of the casing there is disposed a` translucent body or plug I4 which may be formed of glass or a suitable plastic, the latter being preferred. This plug is shown in detail in Fig. 4, the same being cylindrical in shape to t snugly into the end of the casing, the rim portionv of this end of the casing being peened over as at I5 when the plug is inserted to prevent removal thereof, and suitable stops or shoulder formations, such asthe annular groove I6, being formed in the casing behind the plug to prevent movement of the latter inwardly. Thus the plug is held securely in position by simple means suitable to economical production methods.

A further object is the provision of a resilient closure for the casing and arranged to be depressed by the finger or thumb to shift the battery into operative engagement with the electric lamp.

Other objects, advantages'and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationship of the component parts of the illustrative embodiment described hereafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the device with portions of the casing cut away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the device with the Writing implements removed to illustrate its use as a flashlight.

Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the translucent plug.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the drawings and comprises (Fig. 1)

An electriclamp or flashlight bulb I1 is disposed in the casing between the battery I3 and the plug I4 so as to transmit light through the latter when energized by the battery. Means providing a resilient movable mounting for the bulb' comprises a helical spring .I8 disposed so that one end threads onto the threaded base portion I'IA of the lamp, opposite end portion I8A of the spring being of sufficient diameter to fit `snugly against the inner periphery of the zinc battery, a circuit will be completed between the` terminals 20 on the lamp and 2l onthe battery to effect illumination of the lamp, light from which willbe transmitted externally of the casing through the translucent plug.

A feature of the invention is the provision in the translucent plug of mveans'for receiving a writing implement such as a pencil stub 22 (Fig. 2) to be illuminated and carried by the flashlight, this-means including the provision of a bore u (see Fig. 4 particularly) in the plug Il, this bore being of a diameter to provide a relatively tight sliding of frictional nt between the pencil and the bore whereby the pencil may be slid back and forth in a 'direction axially of the casing and plug. The importance of this arrangement resides in the fact that by sliding the pencil 22 inwardly of its normal position shown in Fig. 1 the inner end-22A of the pencil may be urged agaimt the bulb portion of the lamp to shift the latter and compress the spring Il and cause contact Il to engage terminal 2l on the battery and light the lamp, as illustrated particularly in Fig. 2.

'l'he snug fit between the pencil and plug will hold the pencil in its inward position so that the lamp will remain illuminated without eifort on the part of the user when employing the device as a writing implement in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2. When it is desired to turn the lamp off, it is simply necessary to withdraw the pencil to the position shown in Fig. l. f

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a yieldable or resilient closure or plug in the preferred form of a rubber cork 2l which lits firmly into the end il of the casing with a portion IIA exposed to be engaged by the finger or thumb of the user in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, the rubber or other material being sufficiently deformable to yield under the pressure of the finger so that the inner end portion IIB of the cork will bear against the bottom ISA of the battery and shift the latter and thus cause the bulb I1 to bear against the plug Il with al subsequent compression of the spring bringing terminals 2l and 2l together to illuminate "the lamp. By this means the device may be used as a flashlight with or withoutthe pencil. A shoulder 25C on the closure or cork limits inward movement thereof.

The invention is not restricted to the use of a pencil in the strict popular sense of the word, but is intended to embrace and include any and all types of marking device, crayon, stylus, or the like adapted to fit into the translucent wall portion of the casing.

The device may be used as a flashlight by inserting any pencil-shaped or stick-like element in the passage or base 23 to control illumination of the lamp.

If desired the marking device or implement 22 may be in the form of a lip stick or the like.

The preferred embodiment of the invention set forth-herein has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it being understood that the objects of the invention may be accomplished by other forms and arrangements of the specific means set forth, so that the invention is not to be limited to any precise details of form, location, or function except as may be provided hereinafter in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a casing, a translucent insert carried by said casing, said casing being adapted to house abattery, an electric lamp mounted in said acetato casing for movement toward and away from said battery into and out of operative engagement therewith, meanryieldably urging laid lamp into a normal position out of operative engagement withvsaid battery, means providing a slidable mounting in said translucent insert for an elongated writing implement whereby thelatter may bemovedinadirectionintoandoutofsaid casing and into and out of engagement with said lamp, said writing implement being movable inwardly of the casing against said lamp to move the latter into operative engagement with said battery to effect illumination of the lamp, light from said lamp being transmitted through laid translucent insert when the lamp is illuminated as aforesaid to provide illumination in the region adjoining said writing implement to facilitate use of the latter for its intended purpose.

2. A combined nashlight and writing implement comprising an elongated casing, a translu cent member carried at an end of said casing, said translucent member being provided with a bore extending in the direction of the length of said casing, said bore being adapted to slidably receive a pencil element for movement in a direction inwardly and outwardly of the casing, said casingbeingadaptedtocontainadrycellin spaced relation with said translucent member, g an electric lamp and means mounting the same in said casing between said translucent member and said dry cell for movement toward and away from the latter, said means including a spring member supportably engaging said lamp and making electrical connection with one terminal of said dry cell and one terminal of said lamp, said lamp having another terminal brought into electrical contact with the remaining terminal of said dry cell by movement of the lamp toward the latter whereby to effect illumination of the lamp, said pencil being movable inwardly of the casing to engage said lamp and move thesame into engagement with the dry cell for illumination as aforesaid.

3. A ilashlight comprising, in combination, an elongated casing adapted to house a dry cell, a light transmitting portion in said casing, an electric lamp in said casing behind said light transmitting portion and adapted when illuminated to transmit light through the latter, a conductive Spring sunportably engaging said lamp and 00nnecting with one terminal thereof and also bearing against said dry cell to make electrical contact with one terminal thereof and yieldably urge the lamp into da normal position toward said light transmitting portion and away from said dry cell. said lamp having a terminal disposed to be brought into electrical contact with the remaining `terminal on said dry cell by movement toward the latter a certain amount from said normal position to light the lamp, said light transmitting portion being provided with an opening in alignment with said lamp and providing a passage for an operating element adapted to be moved inwardly to engage said lamp and move the same into contact with respect to the dry cell to be lighted in the manner aforesaid.

JEWEIL R. WILLIAMS. 

